1. Field of the Disclosure
Abstract of the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that saves therein an executed job in a re-executable format.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an image forming apparatus provided with a storage device, such as a large-capacity hard disk, has been offered. For example, some image forming apparatuses, such as a multifunction peripheral, have the function to save the setting of electronic document data or a job, which has been used for once-executed printing or sending processing, in the apparatus to allow a user to make a selection afterward for easy reprinting or resending. With this function, the user can change the destination setting to resend a once-sent electric document to another destination without having to read the original document again, or can reuse the setting included in a once-printed electronic document to print another document. Thus, the function increases user convenience.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-039938 discusses a system that allows the user to use the print setting for a print job in such a way that, when the print operation of a print job for which the print setting is specified is canceled, the user can flexibly use the print setting for the print job whose print operation has been canceled.
When receiving a request to cancel the print operation of a print job, this system also receives a special instruction that specifies the reuse of the processing condition of the job whose print operation is to be canceled. By receiving this instruction, the system is configured to display the setting screen on which the processing condition of the print job whose print operation is to be canceled is reflected, so that the user can reuse the processing condition.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-118082 discusses a system for saving a scan setting or a print setting in an information processing device on a network to allow the user to use the setting at the time of restart. The system saves a setting in this way to enable the user to reference and use the setting information not only from a particular scanner or printer but from any other scanner or printer, thereby suppressing a decrease in user convenience.
When the user cancels a print operation, the system receives an instruction that specifies whether to record information about a print job to be canceled. Among print jobs to be cancelled, some print jobs are reusable, but some are not reusable.
For example, when a multifunction peripheral cannot execute printing because of an error or inconsistency in the setting items which the user specified for a print job, the image forming apparatus automatically cancels the print job in some cases. Such a print job cannot be executed even if the user specifies the execution of the print job again for reuse. An attempt to execute the print job again will result in a cancellation again.
In a send job, when a user-scanned document or mail is sent to a mail server or a file server, the user may find an error in the destination and cancel the job while sending the document or mail. Because such a send job can be re-executed by changing the setting of the destination, it is desirable to save the canceled send job for reuse. With the prior art, whether a job can be re-executable cannot be determined correctly, and saving a non-re-executable job cannot increase user convenience.